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In the time it takes to listen to Raheem DeVaughn's The Love Experience, from start to finish, you can also cycle twice through Prince's Dirty Mind and end up somewhere in the middle of a third play of "Do It All Night." DeVaughn does it until the tape runs out. His debut is a very long album -- 70 minutes, in fact, and it would still be too lengthy without the concluding eight-minute thank-you track. So, if there's one thing DeVaughn didn't learn from his mother's record collection, it's brevity. He did, however, pick up a lot of other things from the past, most of which are far more important to have. Vocally, he's not too far from Dwele, with smooth, sweet tones that often drift into an even sweeter falsetto, though he could use a little of his peer's lyrical subtleties. His voice immediately pulls you in, so the shortcoming isn't as much of a factor as it would be with a singer of lesser skill. Most of his inspirations dwell in the '70s, favoring spare arrangements and elegant string flourishes over dramatic bombast and piercing keyboard stabs. Through numerous highlights scattered across the disc, it becomes apparent that DeVaughn is remarkably creative and talented and should be watched. One does wonder, however, if he was allowed too much creative freedom for a newcomer.
CONDTION:NEW! DRILLED CASE!
TRACK LISTINGS
1 The Voice (Intro)
2 The Love Experience
3 Guess Who Loves You More
4 Who
5 Where I Stand
6 Breathe
7 You
8 Sweet Tooth
9 Ask Yourself
10 Believe
11 Is It Possible
12 Catch 22
13 Until
14 Cadillac
15 Green Leaves
16 Thank You
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